Intervals with an iPod

Like a lot of runners, I really like my iPod. I've been having mine for more than two years, and it's still working great. Usually, I like to listen to a mix of music and podcasts.

One thing I've downloaded (well, bought from iTunes) is one of the Nike Sport Music workouts. You get a session of about 45 minutes duration with motivating music and a speaker telling you what to do. The choice of music is up to debate, but I really liked the idea of being able to do an interval session wherever I go. (Doing one on the track is usually a logistical nightmare for me.) Of course, you don't know exactly how fast you are going (unless you have a GPS device, but that's another issue), but an interval session (even by feel) is a great way to add some spice to your training.

Having done the Nike session a couple of times, I got a bit sick of the music and also wanted to add a different structure to it. So I've started to make my own interval sessions .. using only free software and a cheapo headset that I had lying around for the occasional skype call. It's really been helpful in adding a challenging interval session to my program.

I've written a post describing what to do to make one on your own. Let me know what you think of how I can improve the instructions.